• Ally Gavigan:
• 25 July 2017

After Care Advice For Irish and Highland Ghillies

Check out our top 5 tips to increase the lifespan of your ghillies!

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While a dancer’s shoes may not be the most sparkly or colourful part of their kit bag, it is arguably the most important part. It is the dancer’s connection to the floor and acts as a barrier to impact shock on joints and tendons.

5 tips to extend the life of your Hullachans!

Did you know that your foot has 125,000 sweat glands? During a normal dance competition, they can produce half a litre of perspiration. Never just put your shoes away after a competition and only see them again when you next dance. I recommend that you air and dry the shoes between uses. Hang the shoes in a warm area but not on a direct heat such as a radiator.

1. Dry your shoes after use Clean your shoes regularly with a damp cloth. Rub dry and then apply a shoe cream to feed the leather.
2. Clean and feed the leather once a week Treat stitching with beeswax once a week. Run the corner of a beeswax stick over the stitching that is in contact with the ground. The shoes components are both stitched and glued so if stitching should wear away the glue will still hold the component onto the upper.
3. Look after the stitching You can extend the life of your Hullachans if you are willing to do minor repairs yourself. For example cracked poron pads can be replaced (it is normal for them to deteriorate over time) by a local shoe maker or craftsman. Simply remove the cracked pad and fix in new pads (available via Antonio Pacelli) with a contact adhesive. DO NOT USE SUPERGLUE as it will melt the pad!
4. Do minor repairs to increase the life of the shoe Having two pairs of shoes can dramatically increase the life of each pair. Not only are you allowing each pair to completely dry out between uses, you are also allowing the leather to relax which can prevent overstretching.
5. Alternate shoes between practice sessions

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